A Dozen (Mostly New) Releases

This week, we preview mostly new releases and revisit some classics at the end.

We begin with Robert Plant's new album, a mixture of old timey and African. That slides into some nice Malian groove from a new The Rough Guide to Music of the Sahara. More Malian classic stuff from a superb new 2 CD set from the 1970s, Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako, featuring a very young Salif Keita, who got his start with this band at the Bamako train station & hotel.

Morgan Heritage follows with a cool reggae song that I shazamed a few weeks ago but didn't have time for a past show, The Shazam Hour. Argentina's Chancha via Circuito (aka Pedro Canale) is next, followed by a new one by Brazilian veteran Sergio Mendes featuring Seu Jorge. Canadian Jane Bunnett, who is more Cuban than Canadian, follows with a Cuban version of Bill Wither's classic, "Ain't No Sunshine". I like the singer's accent.

A trio of wonderful voices follows next. Somi, an African-American singer born of Ugandan parents, starts with her stunning track, "Last Song", then Billy Childs tribute to Laura Nyro, with the amazing Renée Fleming, normally a soprano but detuning her technique for a pop song (she is magnificent). UK's Laura Mvula follows with a new version of her song "Green Gardens" done at Abbey Road with the Metropole Orchestra. These are three superb new albums.

We conclude with two Brazilian classics: Maysa with Jobim's, "A Felicidade" and Moacir Santos', "Nana".

I love all this music. I hope you do too.

Rhythm Planet Playlist: 10/03/14

2. Robert Plant / "Little Maggie" / Lullaby And... The Ceaseless Roar / Nonesuch

3. Djime Sissoko & Djama Djigui / "Bazani" /The Rough Guide To The Music Of The Sahara / Rough Guides

4. Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako / "Tiecolom-Ba" / Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako Vol. 2/ Stern's Africa

5. Morgan Heritage / "Uncomfortable" / Universal Message Vol. 3 / VP Music

6. Chanca Via Circuito / "Guajaca" / Amansara / Charco

7. Sergio Mendes / "Sou Eu" (feat. Seu Jorge) / Magic / Okeh

8. Jane Bunnett & Maqueque / "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" / Jane Bunnett & Maqueque / Justin Time

9. Somi / "Last Song" / The Lagos Music Session / Okeh

10. Billy Childs / "New York Tendaberry" (feat. Renée Fleming) / Map To The Treasure - Reimagining Laura / Sony Masterworks

11. Laura Mvula / "Green Garden" / Laura Mvula With Metropole Orkest. / Sony UK

12. Maysa / "A Felicidade" / Bossa Nova Por Maysa / Pampa Music

13. Moacir Santos / "Nana" / Maestro / Blue Note